Birthday Surprises
by TardisBluePen
Summary: I wrote this cos today  or yesterday, if you are living in Australia/Europe/etc  is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's birthday :D hooray. Summary: It is Arthur's birthday and Eames has a surprise in store...T for implied-ness. oneshot.


_Hello, faithful readers! :D I am pleased to say that I am back, and sorry I have not been writing/updating, but life has been throwing some rough spots at me, and I've been dealing with some major writer's block, so I haven't been able to get anything out since my last story. So, there's my explanation for that. Secondly, PLEASE read this part: I know this is definitely not my best work, and I wish I could spend more time on it, but I have not been able to get anything more added to this. Again, the writer's block hit me hard, and it's still very difficult for me to get much of anything worth reading out of my system. So I am sorry in advance if you don't like this, it was honestly the best I could get out. (I may come back and edit later, if any good ideas come to me...)_

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Inception._

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT! ;)_

_(*)_

Arthur was smiling. For the first time since...well, ever, he was happily and genuinely smiling. Ariadne could tell by Eames' smart-alecky comments that he was new to this event. Not surprising, though; Arthur never smiled around Eames, the two of them were known to clash heads. She could also deduce from the way the Eames kept snapping pictures with his polaroid camera, that this was something that he wanted to remember for the rest of his life. Probably so he could rub it in Arthur's face.

Arthur's smile soon faded, however, as he shoved Eames' camera out of the way, declaring that he was "not a picture kind of guy."

It was Arthur's 30th birthday and, upon the rest of the team's insistence, they had all gone out for drinks. Arthur had made them promise not to buy him any presents, however, and they had reluctantly agreed. At least, that's what Ariadne thought until Eames approached her with a Grinch-wide grin on his face.

"Come with me, darling." he instructed her, and he grabbed her arm and steered her away from her seat at the bar. "We're giving Arthur a proper birthday present."

"But I thought he didn't want any." She giggled, but she followed Eames anyway, eager to hear what he had in store.

"Arthur doesn't know what he wants." Eames replied as they finally stopped at a table on the far end of the bar. "But you and I are going to help him figure it out."

"Oh?" Ariadne was skeptical. "I doubt Arthur is going to accept any form of gift from you."

Eames smirked. "That's where you're wrong, love."

Ariadne raised an eyebrow at him, and the forger just grinned and went on to explain the plan...

**(*)**

Back at the bar, Cobb was keeping an eye on Arthur, and wondering where his two companions had gone. They had been away for 20 minutes, and they hadn't even told him where they were going. Knowing Eames, they were probably coming up with something to give Arthur, and Cobb was feeling a bit worried at what that might be. Arthur would have been worrying with him, but the point-man was a bit tipsy. Little did he know that Eames had given the bartender a little something extra to slip some alcohol into Arthur's virgin cocktail.

Now, Arthur didn't normally drink cocktails at all, but upon the insistence of his friends, and the "it's your birthday" excuse, he had finally given in and gotten a drink...it wasn't supposed to be a virgin drink, though; according to Eames, "nobody drinks virgins on their birthday, not even Arthur." And thus, the subtle slipping of alcohol into each of Arthur's drinks had gone unnoticed by the point-man. He was barely aware that he was getting tipsier by the minute.

**(*)**

"Eames, you're crazy."

The man sitting across from her feigned a hurt expression.

"I'm not doing it." She folded her arms.

"Why not, darling, you know he'll go for it!" He fought back. "And I'm pretty sure you're more eager to do it than you let on." He winked.

Ariadne blushed.

"Just admit you want him, darling. The boy's probably drunk, so he'll get his present, and you'll both go home happy." Before Ariadne could open her mouth to respond, Eames added, "And I might as well tell you that I'm not letting you go until you say yes." And he shot her a incredibly annoying grin.

Ariadne glared at him. This was completely unfair. Okay, yes, maybe she _did_ want him, but she didn't want him to want her because he was drunk...and what if he still didn't want her? The entire situation could go so wrong, and she could be so humiliated. And she figured she could probably hold out longer than Eames, but she didn't have the energy. The one cocktail she had consumed since their arrival was slowly making it's way through her veins. Damn her for being such a lightweight!

"Fiiiiine." she sighed. Eames took out the final touch for the gift: a bright red bow. Ariadne grabbed it, and the two of them headed back to the bar.

**(*)**

"Arthur, darling!" Eames grinned widely, standing behind the man at the bar.

"Where have you two been?" Cobb asked. He seemed to be the most-sober of them all, probably a very good thing.

"Oh, just been preparing our favorite point-man's birthday present."

"What?" Arthur turned to face him. "Eames, I told you, I don't want any-"

"I know what you told me, but quite frankly, I think you don't know what you want." Eames cut him off quickly. "And I found the perfect gift for you, and I'll be damned if your 'I don't want anything' request gets in my way."

Arthur and Cobb merely stared at him.

"What's the gift, then?" Arthur asked, and Cobb added, "And where is Ariadne?"

The grin on his face unmistakable now, Eames stepped aside to reveal her. Ariadne stood, looking up at Arthur shyly, wearing a bright red bow on her head.

"...Eames...?" Arthur's look was questioning, he wasn't quite sure he understood...

"Happy birthday, my man." the forger grinned deliciously. Cobb was struggling to hold back a fit of laughter. Arthur continued to stare at the architect.

"Happy birthday, Arthur." she said quietly, and she gave a kiss on the cheek. Arthur's eyes darkened immediately, but he covered it up well.

"Well, I think you've all had enough to drink." Cobb stated, as Eames continued to giggle uncontrollably, and Arthur looked close to losing control himself. Before any of them could take it further, Cobb pulled them all together.

"Alright, it's time to take you guys home."

**(*)**

After dropping Eames off first, where he promptly collapsed the moment he stepped foot in his flat-probably due for a nasty headache the following morning-it was time for Ariadne and Arthur.

As Cobb's car rolled into the parking lot, Ariadne offered to walk Arthur to the flat itself while Cobb waited.

"Well, that was fun..." Ariadne mumbled as she helped Arthur stumble through the door.

"Yeah," Arthur chuckled, more to himself than to her, "Eames really knows how to pick good gifts."

Ariadne stopped in her tracks and Arthur fell forward. "What?"

She struggled to find her words. "You...you really mean that?"

"What?"

"What you just said...about Eames picking out good gifts." She blushed.

"Oh...yeah." He mumbled, staring at the floor. "I...really like you, Ariadne. And I think you like me, too." He looked at her. "And I am really pleased with...Eames' decision to...to do that, cos you looked really cute with that bow on your head-"

He was rambling. He must have been really drunk. And perhaps she was, too, for she found herself shuffling towards him. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but all she knew at that moment was that she wanted him, and damnit, she would take him!

"And this actually a pretty good birthday, I normally doubt Eames' taste in presents, but really-"

She cut him off by planting her lips forcefully on his.

The rest of the night was a blur.

**(*)**

"Ohh..." Arthur's head was pounding. He rolled over in his bed, keeping his eyes shut against the harmful sunlight shining through the window.

"You okay?"

His eyes shot open. A voice. A certain architect's voice. And the warm presence beside him...it couldn't be. He slowly turned his head to see a pair of sleepy brown eyes looking at him, and a head of dark hair splayed across his pillow.

"A-Ariadne?" he choked out. "What-?" _Oh shit._ "What happened last night?"

The girl blushed and mumbled something about a party and drinks. Arthur turned to his beside table and grabbed his totem. Rolling it, he sighed when it landed comfortingly on three.

"So...last night wasn't just some wonderful dream?" he asked, rolling over to look at her.

Her face grew even redder, but she grinned when she saw the smile on his face.

"Guess not." she said shyly, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Happy birthday, Arthur."

(*)

_So, what did you all think? Good? Terrible? I can't say I didn't warn you. :P Please let me know, it will be MUCH appreciated._


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